Occupational
Therapy is a health care profession devoted
to providing service to persons with acute
and chronic physical, emotional, mental
and developmental disabilities. The occupational
therapist helps individuals achieve independence
in their daily lives and activities. An
occupational therapist may aid in the growth
and development of premature babies; create
a learning environment for physically and
mentally challenged children; adapt home
environments for persons with stroke, cerebral
palsy, spinal cord injury and other disabilities;
and create activities that are designed
to restore mental health for persons with
emotional, mental, and substance abuse problems.

The
Master of Science degree program in Occupational
Therapy is an entry-level professional
program designed to enable the student to
develop advanced critical reasoning skills
and to prepare the graduate for professional
practice in a variety of settings. Graduates
will also have the capability of assuming
responsibilities in the areas of administration,
program development, consultation and research
in occupational therapy.

The program
consists of 94 semester hours and is seven
consecutive semesters in length. This includes
24 weeks of full-time
Level II Fieldwork as required by accreditation
standards. Level II Fieldwork is available
in a variety of medical and community sites
representing a diverse range of learning
opportunities for students.

The program
is designed to accommodate applicants who
have either a baccalaureate degree in another
field or advanced undergraduates who have
completed three years (96 semester hours)
of prescribed and elective undergraduate
course work.

CRITERIA
FOR ADMISSION

A new
class of Masters students begins each
year in Fall semester. To be considered
for admission to the program, students must
submit an application
with appropriate fees
to the Occupational Therapy Department by
the January 15th deadline.

The
following are the minimum criteria to be
considered for admission:

1.

Completion
of a baccalaureate degree with a minimum
cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale
from an accredited institution prior
to the starting date of the program, or completion of a minimum of 96 semester
(144 quarter) hours. Students with
96 semester (144 quarter) hours of
course work with a minimum 3.0 GPA
may be admitted as Advanced Undergraduates. Provisional admission may be offered to selected students who do not meet this criterion.

2.

Completion
of the prerequisite course work listed
below with a minimum GPA of 3.0 on
a 4.0 scale.

3.

Completion
of the Graduate Record Examination
(GRE) within the past 5 years. Official
scores must be submitted directly
to the University before the application
deadline. Verbal and
Quantitative components will be considered
for admission purposes.

4.

Applicants who meet all admission requirements will
be invited for personal interviews.

Admission
will be offered to students after both academic
and interview scores are considered. Core
Performance Standards, which are fundamental
tasks that must be performed to successfully
complete the program, have been outlined
and are available upon request from the
program.

Baccalaureate
Degree Holders (Category I)

The student
must hold a baccalaureate degree from an
accredited college or university including
prerequisites listed below and
must meet the minimum requirements for admission.

Or

Advanced
Undergraduates (Category II)

The student
must have completed a minimum of 96 semester
(144 quarter) hours of prerequisite work
as stated below for Advanced Undergraduate
students and must meet the minimum requirements
for admission.

Applicants
interested in this category of admission
should review the Additional Information
for Advanced Undergraduate Applicants section.

First
Aid and CPR Competency*
(as demonstrated by course credit,
or by documentation of certification
by the American Red Cross or the
American Heart Association)

1

TOTAL
SEMESTER HOURS:

41

*Must
be taken no more than five years prior
to application.

Additional
Prerequisites for Advanced Undergraduate
Applicants

English
Composition II (3 semester hours)

Laboratory
Science Elective (4 semester hours) (not Botany)

Fine Arts
Elective (3 semester hours)

Literature Elective (3 semester hours)

*Humanities Elective (3 semester hours)

History Elective (3 semester hours)

*Social Science Elective (3 semester hours)

Applied Art Elective (3 semester hours)

Introduction to Logic or Ethics (3 semester hours)

Electives
(25 semester hours)

*Must complete a two course sequence in Literature or History.

Extra
points will be given to applicants who have
completed any of the following additional
courses with
a grade ofB or higher: anatomy
(300 level or higher), physiology (300 level
or higher), chemistry, pathophysiology,
physics, infectious disease or microbiology,
medical terminology, introduction to occupational therapy (OT 101), and any additional
anthropology or sociology courses (300 level
or higher).

Applicants are strongly encouraged to observe occupational therapy practice in a variety of settings. One (1) extra point towards admission is awarded for each 25 hours observed, up to a maximum of 75 hours or three (3) points. Documentation forms for observation may be obtained from the occupational therapy department.

Additional
Information for Advanced Undergraduate Applicants:

Students
not holding a baccalaureate degree must
complete additional prescribed and elective
courses including 25
semester hours in a major of their choice.
This will help ensure that students who fail
to gain admission to the Occupational Therapy
program or who elect not to apply will be
able to complete an undergraduate degree
within the normal time frame.

Advanced
undergraduates who are admitted to the graduate
program will officially be classified as
undergraduates for the first two semesters of
the program but will be taking graduate
courses in the program and will be held
to the same standards of performance as
the graduate students with bachelors
degrees.

Upon satisfactory
completion (minimum GPA of 3.0) of all course
work during the first two semesters of the program,
the student will be awarded a Bachelor of
Science in Pre-Professional Health Sciences.
The student will complete all necessary
paperwork for reclassification as a graduate
student and will continue through the remainder
of the program.

The academic
program for students with bachelors
degrees and advanced undergraduates is identical
in its entirety. Tuition will be assessed
at the graduate level for the entire seven
semesters of the Masters degree program.

In the
first two semesters of the program while classified
as an undergraduate student, any financial
aid awarded is restricted to the types and
amounts for which an undergraduate student
is eligible.

REQUIREMENTS
FOR THE MASTER OF SCIENCE DEGREE IN OCCUPATIONAL
THERAPY

The
Master of Science degree program consists
of the following courses:

OT 500

Occupation
in Context

3

OT
502

Occupational
Development I

3

OT 503

History
and Philosophy of OT

3

OT 505

Scientific
Inquiry I - W

3

OT 510

Theoretical
Foundations of OT - W

3

OT 512

Occupational
Development II

3

OT 514

Neuromuscskel
Dimens of Occup Perf

5

OT 517

Occupational
Evaluation I

3

OT 519

Professional
Dev Seminar I

2

OT 520

Occupational
Intervention I

5

OT 521

Practicum
I

1

OT 524

Biomed
& Phenomenol Persp on Disability
I

3

OT
525

Documentation

2

OT 527

Occupational
Evaluation II

3

OT 529

Professional
Dev Seminar II

1

OT 530

Occupational
Intervention II

5

OT 531

Practicum
II

1

OT 534

Biomed
& Phenomenol Persp on Disability
II

3

OT 536

Management

3

OT 539

Professional
Dev Seminar III

2

OT 540

Occupational
Intervention III

5

OT 541

Practicum
III

1

OT 545

Scientific
Inquiry II

3

OT 546

Supervision

2

OT 548

Advanced
Tech in OT

2

OT 550

Level
II Fieldwork (A)

6

OT 555

Level
II Fieldwork (B)

6

OT 560

Professional
Issues

3

OT 566

Leadership

3

OT 570

Community-Based
Intervention

3

OT 575

Advanced
Professional Writing

3

During
the Fall and Spring semesters of the last
year students participate in fieldwork education
at special fieldwork sites affiliated with
the program. Students should plan on relocation
to two different out-of-town fieldwork centers
during these two semesters.

Expenses

Students
should be prepared for extra expenses associated
with professional studies including books,
local travel to and from fieldwork sites
and out-of-town travel and living expenses
during Level II Fieldwork assignments. Special
lab fees are assessed for the following
courses:

OT 500

Occupation in Context

$30.00

OT
510

Theoretical
Foundations of OT

30.00

OT
514

Neuromuscskel
Dimens of Occup Perf

100.00

OT
520

Occupational
Intervention I

40.00

OT
527

Occupational
Evaluation II

25.00

OT
530

Occupational
Intervention II

40.00

OT
540

Occupational
Intervention III

40.00

OT
548

Advanced
Technology in OT

40.00

OT
570

Community-Based
Intervention

40.00

ACCREDITATION

The Occupational
Therapy Program is accredited by the Accreditation
Council for Occupational Therapy Education
(ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy
Association (AOTA), located at 4720 Montgomery
Lane, P.O. Box 31220, Bethesda, MD 20824-1220.
ACOTEs phone number is c/o AOTA (301)652-AOTA.
Graduates of the program will be able to
sit for the national certification examination
for the occupational therapist administered
by the National Board for Certification
in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT). After successful
completion of this exam, the individual
will be an Occupational Therapist, Registered
(OTR). Most states require licensure in
order to practice; however, state licenses
are usually based on the results of NBCOT
Certification Examination. A felony conviction may affect a graduate's ability to sit for the NBCOT certification examination or attain state licensure.